Erratic COVID-19 vaccine supply: 700 session sites shut in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Amidst sharp rise in COVID-19 cases across Odisha, as many as 700 vaccine session sites have been shut in the State due to ‘insufficient’ and ‘erratic’ vaccine supply.

“The massive vaccination drive has been halted in the State. A day after 400 vaccine centres were shut, 700 session sites have been closed on Wednesday due to shortage of vaccine,” informed Odisha Health and Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi today.

On Wednesday, total 1,10,889 doses of COVID vaccine have been administered to the beneficiaries. While 4,35,320 doses of Covishield vaccine are in stock, 1,14,490 doses of Covaxin jab are available in the State.

“We estimate that the stock of 4,35,320 doses of Covishield and 1,14,490 doses of Covaxin will be exhausted in two to three days. We need 25 lakh vaccines for next 10 days. The vaccination drive was completely shut in Koraput district on Wednesday,” Panigrahi further said.

Meanwhile, State Health Minister Naba Kishore Das has written to the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and informed him about the stock of COVID vaccines in the State.

“Due to shortage of vaccine, we have to close nearly 700 vaccination centres in the state (out of over 1400 functional sites). Only 755 could be made active today,” Das wrote it to Dr. Harsh Vardhan

He further asked to supply at least 10 day’s stock, which is 25 lakh doses of vaccine, to the state for effective vaccination.

However, the Centre has rejected the claims by the States, calling these “baseless allegations”.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan alleged that the States were trying to cover their “failures” and spread panic among the people by demanding vaccination for all without first inoculating enough of the eligible beneficiaries.

The Centre has directed to set up vaccination centres at workplaces from April 11. So far, 38,52,206 vaccinations have completed in the State.